Abstract
Two small, ground and litter-dwelling pholcid species from northern Borneo are described as representatives of a new genus, Hantu gen. nov.: H. kapit gen. et sp. nov. and H. niah gen. et sp. nov. Previous cladistic analyses suggested a closer relationship with the genera Savarna Huber, 2005 and Khorata Huber, 2005 (mainland Southeast Asia) than with the geographically closer genus Aetana Huber, 2005 (Borneo and Philippines to Fiji). Since the two species do not share any of the synapomorphies of Khorata and Savarna while having several synapomorphies on their own (ventral apophysis on male palpal coxa; male palpal trochanter apophysis with small teeth or scales; spines on male femora 1; high density of vertical hairs on male femora; presence of scape on epigynum), they are here proposed as representing a new genus.
Highlights
The two species newly described were initially to be included in a revision of the Southeast Asian pholcid genus Aetana Huber, 2005 (Huber et al 2015a)
They resembled ground and litter-dwelling representatives of that genus, and their geographic origin pointed towards Aetana rather than to other similar genera on the Southeast Asian mainland (Savarna Huber, 2005; Khorata Huber, 2005)
Distinguished from putatively closest known relatives (Khorata, Savarna) by ventral apophysis on male palpal coxa, by scales or teeth on male palpal trochanter (Fig. 16), by spines on male femora 1 (~10–25 in single ventral row), by short vertical hairs in high density on male femora, and by scape on female external genitalia (Figs 40–45); from Savarna by presence of distal cheliceral apophyses (Figs 11, 28) and by male palpal trochanter apophysis not fused to femur (Figs 9, 27); from Khorata by absence of sclerotized ledges laterally on male chelicerae (Figs 11, 28) and by absence of retrolateral process on male palpal femur (Figs 9, 27)
Summary
The two species newly described were initially to be included in a revision of the Southeast Asian pholcid genus Aetana Huber, 2005 (Huber et al 2015a). The two species do not share any of the distinctive characters of Khorata (Huber 2005b) and Savarna (Huber 2005b; Huber et al 2015b). As a consequence, they are here described as representatives of a new genus
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